The Venice Art Biennale , which takes place every two years, has historically maintained that art transcends politics. But since the event is also referred to as the "Olympics of the art world" — with national pavilions acting as official, state-sponsored platforms showcasing contemporary art — global politics inevitably get entangled in the conversation. A posthumous exhibition by Koyo Kouoh This year's event, held from May 9 to November 22, lists 100 national participations, with seven countries taking part for the first time: Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Nauru, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Vietnam. The national entries accompany the Biennale's main international art exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," which was curated by the late Cameroonian-born artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died of cancer in May 2025, at the age of 57. Kouoh, the first African woman chosen to curate the prestigious show, had already developed her curatorial project before her sudden death.…